


Carnival of Rust

by POTFFAN



Category: Narcos (TV)
Genre: Angst, Caretaking, Dysfunctional Relationships, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Friends With Benefits, Hurt/Comfort, Major Character Injury, Season 3, Showers, Smut, Whump, hurt Javier, injured javier, javier whump
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:28:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27675370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/POTFFAN/pseuds/POTFFAN
Summary: Javier is pursued by agents of the Calli Cartel and ends up in a terrible car accident. He's injured and far from home and wanted. There's only one person in the city he trusts, too bad he ghosted her a year ago.
Relationships: Javier Peña/Elisa Álverez
Comments: 20
Kudos: 38





	1. The Midnight Caller

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Itsagoodthing (itzagoodthing)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/itzagoodthing/gifts).



> Hello everyone! Consider this fic my procrastination from finishing my other ones. (I'm so sorry!) I wrote this back sometime during quarantine and have now gotten around to editing and posting it. Hope you like it! In case you forgot, Elisa Álverez was the M19 chick from season 1 that Javier slept with and then helped smuggle out of Bogata so that the DEA or Escobar wouldn't come after her. IDK why but I kinda liked them together. Anyway, enjoy!

Elisa stared at the ceiling above her. She’d grown quite familiar with the pattern. Sometimes, she imagined it was an expansive highway that would take her far away from here; far away from where she was now. Funny how years of living in the Jungle could make an apartment feel suffocating and small. Tossing and turning and staring at the ceiling was getting tedious, so she decided to get up and make herself a cup of tea instead. The soft patter of rain beat against her window. She chose to leave the lights off and let the light of the streetlamp outside guide her. She’d done this same thing so many times her movements were almost mechanical. The tea was in the top left cabinet, her mugs were in the top right cabinet, the kettle was in its usual place on the stove. Fill the kettle at the sink, the knob on the stove turned all the way to the right, boil the water. It was the same thing every time.

She waited for the water to boil and closed her eyes. He was in her mind. His lips were trailing along her neck. His fingers were brushing over her arms with feathery light touches. She hated that he obtrusively haunted her thoughts every once in a while. Sometimes there was no way to block out the memories he’d left with her. 

She opened her eyes. She didn’t want to let herself get lost in the memory. That would bring up the pain all over again. She thought he would call after their night together. He hadn’t. She thought he would call after she’d been smuggled out of Medellín. He hadn’t. She thought surely he would call after she’d been settled in her new home with her new identity. He hadn’t. It had been a year and a half since she first arrived and she hadn’t received a single call from him.

“Stupid,” she muttered out loud. She knew better. Whatever she and Javier had been, it wasn’t real. It was never real. When they first met, they had instantly locked eyes. There was desire and a spark between the two of them that could scarcely be contained. But it was fleeting; just a one night stand between two people who were full of pent up adrenalin and frustration. It was nothing more. The kettled started whistling and she took it off the stove before pouring the water over the teabag in her mug and sitting down at her kitchen table.

She took a sip of her tea. She hated that she still thought about him. She hated that the way he kissed her still lingered in her mind. She especially hated that it seemed these memories plagued her the most whenever she attempted to move on with her life. Every time she tried to meet someone new, tried to carry on a normal life, Javier was there. She hated Javier Peña.

A frantic knock pounded her front door. The abrasive beat startled her, nearly causing her to spill her tea in her lap. She set the cup on the table and rose to her feet. Every bit of her was on high alert. It wasn’t like she was expecting any late-night guests. It didn’t matter that she’d been hiding out with a new life and new identity for several months now. The possibility that the DEA or Escobar finding her was an ever-present threat in her life. The odds that either one of them put the pieces together and found her was at a constant 50/50. And the chances that either one could be on the other side of that door were the same. She waited, hardly breathing, braced for what was to come next. Another series of pounding rattled her door.

Her steps were swift as she walked to the drawer where she kept her gun for just such emergencies. It was in the drawer to the right of the sink. It was just a small one, but enough to pack a wallop and defend herself. Silently she crept back to the door. There was a high chance whoever was on the other side of that door was armed and ready to kill her on sight with no questions. With a deep calming breath, she stilled her nerves, counted to three. The front door was flung open and her gun was aimed. Her finger was on the trigger ready to fire the second she saw even a fraction of movement from the shadow that stood before her.

“Who are you?” She demanded. Her voice was sharp and unwavering. She intended to let this midnight caller know she wasn’t afraid.

“E-Elisa…” the weak and shaky voice stuttered out her name. Her real name; a name she hadn’t heard in months. There was only a handful of people who knew her by that name, and though the voice was ghostly and shuddering, she recognized it almost instantly.

“What the fuck are you doing here Javier? It’s the middle of the night! What, you think you can not call for months and then show up randomly cause you’re horny for some booty call? You think you can just act like a dick and that your actions have no consequences whatsoever?”

“I didn’t know where else to go. K-Knew I would be safe here.”

The first part of his reply had made her roll her eyes. There was plenty of whore houses her he could patron. However, the second half caught her off guard. She noted how difficult it was for him to spit the words out and now that she was listening, she could hear his breaths were wheezy and rattling through his chest. His posture was slumped over a little and not his usual confident stance that was his trademark. Something was wrong, very, very wrong. He swayed a little and slummped against the doorframe and against her better judgment, she pulled him in and closed the door. His feet stumbled as she guided him to the kitchen table where she was sitting previously, sat him in the chair, and she flicked on the lights.

“Javier,” her voice trailed off in horror.

The light revealed a very battered and bloodied agent. He looked like he’d been to hell and back. His face was cut up, bruised, and bloodied. Blood was dried into his hair and left red streaks along his skin. The left side of his torso looked raw and scraped to oblivion and his shirt was reduced to tatters. Now that he was in the broad light, she could see how it took a great amount of effort to draw a breath. The pain on his face was apparent.

“What happened to you, Javier? You look like shit.”

“There was a car accident,” he forced out. “I-I-“ he tried so hard to get the words out, but he couldn’t find the air to tell her anymore. There was a loud rushing sound buzzing in his ears now. The darkness was overtaking him so fast he couldn’t fight it. He wasn’t strong enough to stay awake anymore. His body started to pitch forward and Elisa quickly moved to catch him. She could feel him trembling in her arm as he slipped into unconsciousness.

“It’s alright, Javi. I've got you. It’s going to be alright.” Her tone had shifted now from one of anger and pain to one of compassion and empathy. Whatever trouble he’d gotten himself into, he was in a bad shape and he’d come to her for help. He was vulnerable now and trusted her completely. She wouldn’t let him down.

Carefully she hauled him out of the chair and dragged him to her bed in her room. She didn’t want to jostle him too much as she didn’t know what kind of injuries he’d sustained but at the same time, his dead weight was difficult for her slight frame to manipulate with any kind of grace. Needless to say, the trip to her room and into her bed would have been painful for him if he’d been awake and she was thankful for his blackout. Once he was lying flat in her bed, she set about quickly removing his shoes and what was left of his clothes so that he was left in his boxers. She winced as she took note of his injuries. The road rash was substantial on his left side and his shoulder had taken the brunt of it. His skin was warm to the touch and would definitely need cleaning and tending to. Her hands moved to his neck, feeling and checking to see that he hadn’t suffered any broken bones. Everything felt fine under her fingers and she sighed with relief. Gently, she moved to his abdomen, before she could feel for abnormalities, she stopped. There was a glint in the overhead light and suddenly all the blood staining his shirt started to make sense. Quickly she moved to her bedside table, opened the drawer, and pulled out a small flashlight. She was moving back to the side of the bed when his eyes flickered open and he let out a soft groan.

“Easy, Javier,” she murmured as she clicked on the flashlight and shined it over his torso.

“W-what’s going on?” He grunted as his face pulled tight with pain.

Elisa winced as she inspected the deep wounds. “You’ve got glass shards in your abdomen and chest Javi.”

“W-windshield shattered,” Javier rasped as he swallowed and let his eyes slipped closed.

“You’re going to have to get taken out Javier. I need to get you to the hospital.”

Javier shook his head. “No. It’s not safe. That’s why I came here. I-it’s not safe.” His breathing was kicking up to a frantic pace.

“Alright, Javier. Alright. I’ll do my best to fix it here, ok? Just calm down. I need you to relax,” she soothed. “Sit tight and let me get some stuff. I’ll be right back,” she said as she left the room.

She could feel the anxiety gnawing at her. Javier’s had conveyed nothing but pain and vulnerability and he was in trouble. Somehow he’d gotten himself into a scrape, and he was relying on her to get him out of it. Given that he was the one who’d rescued her and smuggled her out of Medellín, she figured he owed him one.

As she entered her bathroom and started to rifled through her medicine cabinet the details of how he saved her started to flood her mind.

***************

_Javier opened the door to the modest apartment and let her cross over the threshold first before following._

_“Sorry it’s not much. You’ll just lie low here until Steve and I can figure out how to smuggle you out of the city.”_

_“After living the last five years of my life in the jungle, trust me, this is nice. Thank you for letting me stay here,” Elisa replied gratefully as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. If someone told her a year ago that she would be on the run for her life and taking shelter in a DEA agent’s house she would have laughed and spit in their face. Now, as she snuck a glance at the dark-haired agent at her side, at the moment he was her savior, even if he didn’t have too much to say to her._

_The rest of the evening was passed in silence. Dinner was eaten separately without words. Then, she found herself sitting on her make-shift bed on his couch alone with her thoughts and fears. The living room lamp burned long into the night and she felt the swell of emotions she’d suppressed over the past few weeks overtake her. She’d lost good friends, a boyfriend, her way of life. And now, she was caught up in a massive unknown abyss of uncertainty. She wasn’t even sure if her name would be Elisa by this time tomorrow._

_“You’re still up?” The warm voice startled her from her thoughts and she looked up to see Javier standing in the doorway of his room._

_“Just lost in thought I guess,” she said as he wandered over and sat on the other side of the couch. He pulled out a cigarette from the pack on the table beside the couch and lit it before taking in a drag._

_“Yeah,” he said as he breathed out the smoke. “I’m in touch with that.”_

_“I don’t know how this all happened. One minute we were just guerrillas, fighting for the cause, and the next…”_

_“Ground gives out underneath you,” Javier finished. She looked at him and found him looking at her. There was something akin to sympathy in his eyes._

_“And now, I don’t know what’s going to happen. I have to leave everything I know and love. I-I might die. Escobar or the DEA could hunt me down and I’ll just be another body on the pile.” She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes as a cold panic filled her. The gravity of her situation was becoming painfully clear. She felt strong yet gentle hands on her shoulders and she looked deep into his dark eyes._

_“I won’t let that happen, Elisa. I’m a man of my word. You were brave and you came forward and I will do everything I can to get you out of here and onto a better life. You will never ever had to be afraid again.”_

_There was such earnestness in his words. No one had ever spoken to her so truthfully before. Perhaps it was her fried emotions, or perhaps it was the gentle way he spoke to her, but in the next moment, their lips were crashing together in a heated kiss._

_Life shattered into bits and pieces that would haunt her for the rest of her life. His lips were on her neck and she was raking her nails across his back. Their clothes were shed and scattered around the living room as he picked her up and carried her to his room where he laid her out across his bed. There would never be another feeling that could compare to the feeling of his teeth scraping her sensitive nipples as he thrust into her roughly. The way he cried out her name as he filled her would live on in her mind forever._

Elisa shook her head as she grabbed the supplies she would need and returned to her room. Javier was lying pale and still with his eyes closed and it terrified her. He looked dead except his chest was heaving with his gasping breaths. She set down her materials and started prepping for what would come next.

***************

Flashes of his memory were assaulting his brain. He remembered flying down the empty country road in the blinding rain. Except the road wasn’t really empty. There was a jeep in hot pursuit behind him. He couldn't quite remember how he’d gotten into that situation at the time but there was a sense of fear as he knew his life was in danger. And then the car was skidding in the mud. And then it was flipping and he was being thrown from the vehicle in a shower of glass and debris. He remembered stumbling around for hours and then her soft hands were on his face and she was telling him to open his eyes.

Nothing felt like more effort but he somehow managed the task. She was looking down at him with a face full of concern.

“Javier, I’m going to start trying to remove this glass ok? Try to stay as still as possible.”

The words were meant for him but there was no meaning to them. They didn’t make sense until the sensation of her pulling the first shard of glass from his belly sent a searing pain through his middle. He couldn’t fight the hoarse cry that left his lips and she bit her lip. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea after all. She wasn’t sure she couldn’t put him through so much pain. But at this rate, he was losing a scary amount of blood fast. She had no choice but to continue. She shined the light into the wound and used her sterilized tweezers to pull out another shard of glass.

His pained cries were growing weaker as the procedure continued. Sometimes he was able to hold them back and resorted to biting his lip or gripping the sheet underneath him so hard his knuckles would turn white and other times the pain came so fast and so strong he couldn’t stifle his whimpers. At one point she was struggling with a particularly large piece that was proving difficult to remove.

“N-no,” he gasped which turned into another shout of agony as his hands flew up instinctively to push hers away.

“Easy, Javi. Easy. I’m almost done! Just take a deep breath for me and let me get this one out. Relax. It’s coming. There we go. I’ve almost got it.”

Whether the process of talking him through what she was doing helped soothe him or her own frazzled nerves she didn’t know. But it seemed to work and he fought to keep his body still as the massive shard of glass finally pulled free as he let out another exhausted cry. That must have been the limit of his strength because in the next breath his head was lolling to the side and his eyes were closed. Quickly, she checked his pulse and breathed out a sigh of relief when she found one. She was thankful she’d saved the largest piece for last. In total, she removed about sixteen pieces of glass from his abdomen and chest. It had been one hell of a procedure and she wasted no time stitching the wounds closed and dressing his torso thoroughly.

When that was done she set about cleaning up the road rash. She wet a clean cloth and poured a little alcohol onto it before she began to gently dab at the raw patch on his shoulder. The sting of the alcohol was enough to bring him around with a sharp breath through gritted teeth and he flinched away from her.

“It’s alright,” she soothed. “It’s just me. I’m almost done and then you can rest. Just try to stay still,” she reassured as she moved from his shoulder to the rash on his left arm. She couldn’t believe his body had endured so much.

“P-probably deserve it,” Javier muttered.

“Nobody deserves this, Javi. Not even you.”

She finished with the upper part of his body and moved to his waist. For half a moment a heat rushed into her cheeks as she slipped her fingers under the waistband of his boxers and pulled them down just enough to reveal the rawness on his hip. He shuddered and his breath hitched painfully.

“Deep, slow breaths,” she reminded as she cleaned up the blood on his hip. He winced violently as the pressure on the combination of bruised and raw skin ached terribly. “You’re lucky you didn’t break your hip,” she commented as she pulled his waistband back to its original place and tossed the cloth in the trashcan.

“Would have made finding you a lot harder,” he murmured as she started to apply an antiseptic cream to the worst of his road rash. His eyes had slipped closed.

“I don’t have much for pain medication. I do have a local anesthetic. That will at least numb the pain in your stomach until I can get one of my contacts at the hospital to hook us up.”

He gave her a tired nod and she scampered out of the room to fetch it. The case containing the syringe was in the medicine cabinet and she retrieved it easily. When she returned to the bedroom she found Javier panting with his eyes closed. He seemed to be attempting to internalize the pain but he couldn’t chase it away from his face. She felt some pity as she sat on the edge of the bed.

“Javi?” She said his name in a gentle voice and his eyes flickered open. “Here. I’m injecting the local now, and then I’ll let you rest. Just breathe,” she coaxed as she injected the medicine into his side. Javier grunted and a few sharp breaths exhaled through his nose and then he began to relax.

“Thank you,” he murmured. Now that the pain was ebbing away, the exhaustion was pulling on him strongly and it was getting harder and harder to fight.

“Of course, Javier. Now get some rest, Javier. You’ve been through a lot and you desperately need sleep,” she said gently as she smoothed his hair back from his face.

“Stay?” He murmured weakly.

“What?”

“W-will you stay with me?” His voice was barely above a whisper.

Elisa bit her lip. She’d planned on crashing on the couch to let him rest. It was her frail attempt at preventing herself from getting sucked into him again after spending months trying to move on. But his face was full of vulnerability and something close to fear. And after all the pain she’d put him through, it seemed like the right thing to do.

“Of course,” she said as she pulled back the covers and slipped into bed beside him. Propping up the pillows, she leaned back so she was in a reclined position. He nuzzled his face against her hip as he sighed and let his eyes droop closed. Leaning over, she clicked off the bedside lamp, plunging the room into the dark. She sat motionless as she let her eyes adjust and found herself unconsciously running her fingers through his thick and unruly hair. She could feel the sweat and blood caked in throughout his locks. Tomorrow they would have to figure out how to get him clean. The stitches and extensive bandages in his torso would indeed make that difficult. There were many things to be answered in the morning. The rain pattered against the windowpane, illuminated by the streetlamp outside as she laid in the dim light with Javier sleeping soundly.


	2. Skin to Skin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elisa shares an intimate moment with Javier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! This fic was basically written so Imma post another chapter. Hope you like it!

Rising for work was difficult. Elisa hadn’t slept much. Her head was too full of questions, fears, and memories. Much to her relief, however, Javier slept through the night with his face buried against her side. The high adrenaline of the crash, making it to her home, and then the strain he underwent as she tried to treat him was enough to cause his body to shut down for the next couple of hours. As she dressed in her scrubs she felt a nagging anxiety. While she wasn’t 100% comfortable with leaving him alone in his condition at the moment he didn’t give her any cause for concern. Most likely he’d sleep all morning and she resolved to fake intense period cramps and Pre-menstrual nausea in the afternoon so that she could slip home as early as possible. Besides, if she was going to grab some much-needed pain medication that would require her to go into work like everything was normal. With one last look, she slipped out of the room and exited the apartment.

The morning passed in a daze. At times it seemed to fly by and other times it seemingly dragged on and on. At some point In the morning, Elisa had the opportunity in between caring for patients to slip into the supply room and grab a bottle of painkillers, plenty of waterproof bandages, and a package of syringes, which she shoved into her purse. At last, she put her plan into action, and after a fantastic show of doubling over in pain, complaining to the head nurse, who was a good friend, and a finale of racing to the restroom where she delivered a convincing bout of retching, she was sent home with instructions to get some rest. Elisa couldn’t get home fast enough.

“Javier!” She called softly as she let herself into her apartment before shutting the door and locking it behind her.

She wanted to alert him so that he didn’t think someone less friendly had discovered him. He didn’t answer and she walked to her room, thinking maybe he was still asleep. Her stomach dropped however when she entered the room and found the bed empty.

“Javi? Javier!” She cried as she raced to the master bath that was located just off the side of her room.

To a mixture of relief and horror, she found him curled up on the floor, shaking and breathing hard. The unmistakable smell of vomit assaulted her nostrils and she felt guilt and concern waging a war in her stomach as she knelt beside him on the floor. Sweat was soaking his skin.

“Javi? Are you alright? Please, Javier, open your eyes,” she pleaded as she felt for his pulse on his neck. It hammered against her fingers as he shifted and his eyes slid open. An immense heat radiated off of him. She smoothed his hair back and cupped his cheek gently. “Javier?”

“Got sick,” he slurred and Elisa peeked in the toilet. All that was in there was bile.

“I’m sorry, Javier. You lost a good deal of blood and I think you’re running a fever,” she said gently. “Why don’t we get you cleaned up and I’ll get you on something for the nausea.” 

Javier nodded and with shaky arms, he moved to push himself up. She helped him the rest of the way and then he was standing on weak legs. Quickly she shut the toilet lid and flushed its contents before she helped him sit down. He looked sick and her heart ached for him. Once she was certain he wasn’t going to pitch himself onto the ground again, she turned on the shower.

“I don’t think I’m gonna make it through a shower,” he muttered. If Elisa was honest with herself, she didn’t think so either.

“It might help bring down your fever. Besides, you’re covered in blood Javier.” She thought for a moment. “What-” she huffed, wondering if she would regret her next words for the rest of her life or not. “What if I got in with you?”

“What?”

“I’ll just…get in with you, make sure you don’t pass out and hit your head in there.” She could feel her cheeks getting hot as the embarrassment rushed to her face. “Forget it. It was a stupid idea.”

“No, no it’s fine. That-that would be nice,” he said, his voice wavering with his shivers.

“Ok. Alright. Um, here, go ahead and get your boxers off,” she said as she scampered out of the bathroom, retrieved the waterproof bandages, and returned. Setting the bandages on the counter, she stuck her hand into the shower to test the temperature. She was stalling.

 _Come on, Elisa. Pull yourself together. You’ve seen each other naked before,_ she told herself. Taking a deep breath, she stilled her nerves and started to slip out of her clothes. Piece by piece came off until she was standing naked in her own bathroom with her back turned to Javier. Another deep breath. _Just turn around_. She turned and found he wasn’t even looking at her. His boxers were off and he was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed.

“Hey, Javier, I’m just going to put these waterproof bandages over the stitches.” He nodded and she swiftly unwrapped the bandages and placed them carefully over his stitches so that they were completely covered. “Alright, you ready?”

He gave her another weak nod and she helped him to stand. He leaned some of his weight on her and she could feel the violent tremors running through his body. Carefully, she climbed into the shower first and helped him in after her. They hadn’t gotten fully into the water yet, just standing just out of reach of the spray. Elisa knew the next part was going to be painful for him.

“We’ll just ease into this, Javier. Just lean on me. I’ve got you,” she coaxed as she eased him into the water. The second Javier’s wounds were exposed to the spray he let out a cry and hugged her tightly as hoarse, pained groans pulled from his lips. She winced as she held him. “It’s alright, Javier. It’s alright. You’re alright,” she soothed as she held him upright in her arms until his whimpers died down.

His trembling was kicking up and she knew she had to get this over with as soon as possible. She walked him into the water a little more and used one of her hands to start wetting his hair. The water beneath their feet was tinted red as blood washed out of his locks and off his body. She couldn’t believe he’d lost so much and it was almost frightening to see the amount that was running down the drain. She reached over and grabbed the washcloth she’d left hanging on the bar attached to the shower wall and held it under the water to get it wet. Then, she gently started to dab at the wounds on his side and around his belly where the bandages weren’t covering, washing the blood off that was staining his skin. His breath hitched and he groaned softly.

“You’re alright, Javi. I’ve got you,” she murmured.

There was something very intimate about them standing in the shower together, but not erotic. At that moment she was his support and his comfort. Javier never ever exposed his feelings or let his guard down. In a way, she never had either until she met him. To be so close to someone, to feel this skin to skin contact with a soul similar to her own, made her lightheaded. She ran her hand through his hair, making sure all the blood washed out and he let out a trembling sigh as he relaxed into her.

“That feel a little better?” She asked.

“Y-yeah,” he murmured as his head rested in the crook of her neck. She could feel his weak breaths skate across her damp skin.

“Good. Let’s get out now, dry off, and get you back to bed.”

He nodded and Elisa shut the water off. It was a slow process getting him out of the shower but they made it and she grabbed some towels from the linen closet. She handed one to him before she started toweling herself off. She’d survived a shower with Javier Peña. She started to put her clothes back on once she was dry and it occurred to her that at the moment, the only clothes Javier had were the ruined ones he arrived in and a pair of blood-stained boxers. After getting him clean, there was no way she could make him get back into those. She bit her lip. There was a mini-mart two blocks from her apartment. She could run there and back in twenty minutes.

“Javier, I’m going to run to the store and get you some clean clothes to wear. Just sit tight and don’t try to go anywhere ok?” She said as she finished getting dressed. He gave her a tired nod. It worried her how quiet and sluggish he was. She needed to hurry and get him lying down again. Without another word, she scampered out of the apartment in the direction of the store.

Never in her life had she shopped so fast. She’d practically sprinted to the store and tore through the isles looking for what she needed. The pickings were slim and all she managed to scrounge up was a pack of cotton tee-shirts and a three-pack of boxers but it was better than nothing. Given his fever, it was better than he had lighter layers anyway. Thankfully there was no line at the cash register and she was able to pay and get home quickly. She found him where she left him, sitting on the closed toilet with the towel wrapped around his waist. Only now, pain creased his features and his arm was wrapped around his middle. He was was in some serious pain.

“Javier?” She said gently as she rested her hand on his cheek. His temperature was up.

“Elisa?” He rasped as his eyes opened a sliver.

“Hey. I got you some clean clothes. Why don’t you get dressed and I’ll get you on something for the pain ok?”

Another weak nod. He was really starting to scare her. She handed him a pair of boxers and he struggled to put them on as she unwrapped the tee shirts. Once he was ready, she gave him one which he put on, groaning as the movements pulled at his wounds. She helped him to stand and together they shuffled back to the bed where she got him to lie down once more. She felt a little better knowing he was in bed and wouldn’t fall over and hurt himself and she retrieved the syringes and bottle of pain killers from her purse. With steady hands, she drew out a dose.

“Slight pinch, Javi,” she warned before carefully sliding the needle into his forearm and injecting the medication.

With a shuddering sigh the medicine kicked in and she could feel the tension leave him for the first time since he showed up on her doorstep. She felt relief fill her but she wasn’t done yet. Carefully she pulled up his teeshirt.

“I’m just going to take these bandages off and take a look at your stitches really quick,” she announced before she carefully peeled the bandages off. She winced. They were infected and definitely the source of his fever. She could see the redness peeking from between the dark thread and the skin surrounding the wounds was swollen. “Shit,” she breathed out loud as she went to the bathroom and dug through her medicine cabinet, looking for anything that might help.

She huffed when her search turned up fruitless. He needed hardcore antibiotics, something she had none of. She would have to steal some from work when she went back tomorrow. Grabbing the burn cream for his road rash, she returned to him and applied the cooling ointment to his shoulder and hip again before pulling his shirt back down and covering him with the sheet. His skin was burning with a dry heat and anxiety formed a brick in her chest. This wasn’t good at all. She’d failed to make him better and probably contributed to making him worse.

“I’m sorry, Javier,” she whispered to his unconscious form as she crawled into bed beside him like she had the night before. She figured she’d let him sleep for a bit before trying to get some fluids in him. That wouldn’t be a fun process either but they’d cross that bridge when they came to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Again, let me know if this is something I should continue!


	3. Risks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Javier's condition takes a turn for the worst and Elisa has some choices to make.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello readers! Sorry, this is so late! Been struggling with major writer's block. I know it's a short chapter but hey! Some progress is good! Hope you enjoy!

“Elisa…”

Elisa was startled awake by the raspy voice whispering her name and it took her a moment to pull her head together. She was aware of an immense heat pressed up against her and she felt short, clipping breaths against her hip.

“Javi? Damn it, Javier you’re burning up,” she swore as she got up and pulled back the blanket.

“It’s f-freezing,” he groaned through chattering teeth.

“I know babe. That’s the fever. Hang tight for a moment,” she said as she sprinted from the bedside to the bathroom.

Grabbing a washcloth from the linen closet she flipped on the faucet. Worry filled her stomach as she stuck the cloth under the stream, wetting it in the lukewarm water. With one swift motion, she rang it out and turned the water off before returning to Javier’s side. His eyes were closed and his face was pale and sickly as dark circles hung under his eyes. Gently, she draped the cool cloth over his forehead. He flinched at the sudden contact.

“Elisa?”

“Just a washcloth, Javi. Let’s try to get this fever cooled off. Are you in any pain?”

“Little,” he said as he swallowed and let his eyes drift closed as Elisa sponged the sweat off his forehead and neck. “It’s manageable for now.”

“Good. You’re due for some more in another hour so try to hold on until then.” Her eyes drifted towards his abdomen. “Mind if I take a look at the wounds really quick?”

“Do I really have a choice?” He murmured and Elisa gave him a look.

“It’s nice to know your sense of humor has disappeared,” she said with an eye-roll as she pushed his shirt up, exposing his belly. Carefully she peeled the bandages back and he sucked in a sharp breath through his teeth.

“Damn it, Elisa!” He gritted out.

“Sorry. Is it tender just over the wound or do you feel some tenderness everywhere?”

“Kind of everywhere.”

Elisa rested her hand on his abdomen for a moment and caught a brief feel of the heat there before Javier whimpered and slammed his eyes shut.

“Fuck,” he shuddered out as she took her hand away.

“Yeah, you’ve definitely got an infection. I’m going to have to steal some antibiotics from work tomorrow morning.”

Javier closed his eyes and let out a breath he’d been holding. “Well, that sucks.”

“If you let me take you to a hospital they could get you comfortable and squared away in no time.”

Javier shook his head. “It’s not safe. Cali’s men are hunting me. It’s a wonder they haven’t come here. I’m a sitting duck in a hospital.

“What about your partner? I was friends with his wife?”

“Steve?” Javier shook his head. “Went back to Miami.”

“Well, damn it, Javi. I don’t know what else to do! You’re sick. You need help and I don’t know if I can get what I need to fix it! You need an IV in. You need antibiotics. I don’t just have that lying around.”

“Safe here,” Javier murmured tiredly. “Safe with you.”

Elisa bit her lip nervously. Javier had risked everything to keep her safe and get her out of the city when their roles were reversed and now she had the chance to return the favor. She couldn’t let him down. He was counting on her.

“Alright, Javier. We’ll do this your way. Think you can hold on until my shift in the morning?”

“Yeah,” he croaked as chills ran through him. His fingers searched for the blanket that had been pulled down past his feet.

“Sorry, Javi. We don’t need to bake your fever under all those blankets.

“It’s s-so cold,” he rasped through chattering teeth.

“I know, I suppose the sheet wouldn’t hurt,” she reasoned as she pulled his shirt back down and reached towards the foot of the bed, grasping the sheet and pulling it over him. “There. Now try to rest. I’ll leave to work in a few hours.” 

Javier let out another shuddering breath as he nodded and let his eyes slip closed. She switched off the light again and sat in the dark once more with his head in her lap, absent-mindedly wiping his forehead with the cool cloth as he slept fitfully.

***************

Elisa looked nervously at the clock on the wall as she clicked her pen. The morning had passed just like normal but Elisa couldn’t get the image of Javier sweating, gasping, and shaking with the fever. The rest of the night had been rough. Javier slept fitfully until the pain resurfaced and Elisa was forced to give him another dose of painkillers to ease the throbbing pain of his wounds. At some point, she’d taken his temperature and much to her dismay it was sitting in a troublesome 104-degree range. Not life-threatening yet by any means but still, she knew that if she didn’t get some medication into him it would become a problem quickly. She kept reminding herself that as she worked up the nerve to steal more supplies from the stock room. Javier was counting on her to pull this off.

“Girl you look like death. You feeling ok?”

“Hm?” She looked over and saw the head nurse, Valentina standing beside her. There was a deep look of concern in her dark eyes.

“You look like death, girl. Have you slept at all in the past two days?”

“A little. It’s just been a rough few nights. Haven’t been sleeping well.”

Valentina glanced up at the clock. “You’ve got one more hour and then I’m ordering you to go home and get some rest. You’ve got the day off tomorrow anyway. Take some time. Take care of yourself,” Valentina said in a mockingly stern voice.

Javier flashed in her mind again and she nodded. “Yeah. I’ll do that.”

Valentina gave her a small smile and left the front desk to tackle other tasks. Elisa forced herself to swallow her fear. One more hour and then she would make her move. Time flies by when one is nervous and running on pure adrenaline. Soon it was time for Elisa to clock out and go home, but she still had one more stop to make. Casually, she grabbed her purse and headed for the stock room. Broad-spectrum antibiotics. That was all she needed. Upon reaching the door, Elisa spared a quick glance from side to side, making sure no one was around before she let herself in. She knew each and every shelf by heart. This would be easy.

It took all of five minutes to find what she needed. She also grabbed two bags of saline and an IV kit as well. Javier would need them. She was shoving everything into her purse when she turned and nearly collided with Valentina.

“Oh! Valentina, you scared me!”

“Yes. I saw the door to the storage room was left open. I thought you went home?” Even in the dimly lit room, Elisa could see the stern and questioning look on Valentina’s face.

“I was just double-checking something in here,” Elisa said quickly. “For a patient.” 

“Hmmm,” Valentina hummed as she glanced at Elisa’s overstuffed purse.

Elisa felt her stomach drop. The situation was bleak. Javier desperately needed what was in her purse, and at the same time, she didn’t want to stir up trouble and risk the fake identity that she’d managed to keep up for the last year. She felt her hands tremble slightly.

“Please Valentina. I-I can’t tell you what it’s for but I promise I have a very good reason for taking it. You know me. We’ve been friends and co-workers for a year now.”

Valentina gave her a hard stare and Elisa held her breath anxiously. At last, the older nurse let out a sigh. “And I know you wouldn’t take it unless it was important. I won’t press you, for now, Elisa, but you better have a damn good explanation for all of this later. Now you better go and be thankful that I was the one that caught you and not Roberto,” Valentina scolded, referencing their strict, by-the-book boss.

Elisa nodded and scampered out of the storage room quickly, clutching her purse close to her body as if the precious medical supplies inside would disappear. Javier was going to have a fighting chance now, she reassured herself as she flagged a taxi to take her home.

Elisa burst through her front door, not even bothering to take off her shoes as she rushed to the bedroom. Javier was curled up on his side shaking. She could hear soft whimpers cut through his sharp gasps for breath. Guilt filled her as she set her bag down and put her hand on his shoulder, wincing at the pained noise that was pulled from him.

“Javier? Hey, it’s alright. I’ve got some things to help.” She saw his eyes crack open slowly. “I’m going to move you on to your back. We’ll take it slow. Let me do the work ok?”

He gave her a weak nod and slowly and with great care she eased him from his side. His face was pale and full of pain. He desperately needed some relief and she got to work. The items stolen from the storage room were pulled out and organized. With a practiced hand, Elisa tore open the IV package and prepped it. His eyes slipped closed as she took his arm gently and looked for a vein.

“You’re so dehydrated, Javi,” she murmured as she tried to find a vein.

“I’m sorry,” he slurred.

“Alright. I’ve got one. Just relax and hold still. It’s going to be a bit uncomfortable,” she warned before she pushed the needle into his skin.

He squeezed his eyes shut and grunted in pain as she finished and taped down the port before connecting it to the bag of saline. Glancing around for a place to hang it, she finally settled for taking the picture off the wall above her bed and hanging the bag on the nail. Once everything was settled, she made sure the valve was open so the fluids could start drifting into Javier’s feverish body. Next, she drew out the correct dosage of antibiotics and injected it into his IV followed by another dose of painkillers. She completed her doctoring by cleaning the road rash and gently swabbing over the wounds in his belly before applying new bandages. By the time she was done, the tension had left Javier’s face and while he was still pale and sickly looking, he seemed a lot calmer and more relaxed.

“That’s better.” His voice was rough and dry.

“Good. Hang on one second, Javi,” she said before she left the room. She was gone for a minute before she returned with a glass of water. “I know you’re on fluids but this will help soothe your throat,” she coaxed as she eased his head up and tipped the glass to his lips. He took a few sips before she settled him back on the pillow. “There. Feeling a little better?”

“Numb,” he murmured.

“Good. That means everything is working. Feeling tired?” He nodded. “Good. I want you to rest, Javier. We’re going to try and get a little food into you later alright.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he murmured again as he let himself drift away on the warm numbing river of the drugs in his system.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! As always, rate and review!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Let me know if this is something you're even remotely interested in. Rate and Review!


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